BASEBALL; Yankees Are Said to Be Hiring Girardi

By JACK CURRY

Published: November 6, 2004

While the Yankees wait for their pitching coach, Mel Stottlemyre, to change his mind about retiring, they are ready to hire Joe Girardi to replace Willie Randolph as bench coach.

The Yankees would not comment yesterday on Girardi's status, but Girardi has told associates that he has agreed to sit beside Manager Joe Torre next season.

Girardi spent last season announcing games for the YES Network, but he has long had a desire to return to the Yankees in an on-the-field capacity.

With Girardi poised to become the bench coach, he would presumably surpass Don Mattingly as the leading candidate to succeed Torre. Randolph and Mattingly were considered the top candidates from the 2004 staff, but Randolph is now managing the Mets and Mattingly, as batting coach, has slipped a rung beneath Girardi.

Reached at his home in Illinois yesterday, Girardi declined to discuss the bench coach position specifically.

Girardi, who has an offer to stay with YES, said, ''I have a lot of options and I'm reviewing all of them.''

Similarly, General Manager Brian Cashman would not comment on Girardi's future. ''Obviously, with Willie leaving, there's an opening,'' he said. ''I'm not prepared to say anything about it yet.''

The Yankees may be waiting to announce the 2005 staff until after Torre holds a charity dinner in Manhattan on Thursday for his Safe At Home Foundation.

Girardi was offered the bench coach job with the Florida Marlins, but he turned it down because he knew there could be an opportunity to snag the same position with the Yankees. Even while Girardi was playing, he mentioned his keen interest in becoming a manager. He concluded his 15-year playing career in 2003.

Soon after Torre was hired as manager in 1996, he implored the Yankees to acquire Girardi from the Colorado Rockies.

Torre called Girardi one of the best catchers in baseball at the time and has since described Girardi as one of his favorite players. Girardi played four seasons with the Yankees, winning the World Series three times.

Meanwhile, Stottlemyre, who told at least one colleague on Tuesday that he would not return for a 10th season as the Yankees' pitching coach, is considering changing his mind.

George Steinbrenner, the team's principal owner, told Cashman that he wanted to maintain or reduce coaches' salaries for next season. It is possible that Stottlemyre wanted to see how serious Steinbrenner was about salary restrictions.

Stottlemyre received a raise to about $450,000 last season and could be seeking another one.

Cashman said he had had no recent conversations with Stottlemyre and was waiting to hear from him.

''We'd like to have him back,'' Cashman said. ''We've offered him the job. He is the only one who knows what he's going to do.''

If Stottlemyre declines to return, the Yankees would replace him with Neil Allen, the Class AAA pitching coach.

If Stottlemyre returns, Allen would most likely replace Rich Monteleone as the bullpen coach.

Photo: Joe Girardi may be in line to become Joe Torre's right-hand man as the Yankees' new bench coach. (Photo by Koichi Kamoshida/Getty Images)